MAF’s Small Airplanes Conquer Jungles and Mountains To Bring Help and Hope to Those in Need

AirVenture Display Features New Amphibious KODIAK Bound for Borneo

OSHKOSH, Wis.––Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has a unique mission. This aviation organization uses light aircraft to overcome jungles, rivers, and rugged terrain that keep people and communities isolated. Their goal: to share the Gospel and make life better for people living in remote, difficult corners of the world.

“With our fleet of 132 planes worldwide, MAF goes places that others cannot or will not,” said John Boyd, president and CEO of MAF. “We reach the most desperate people in the most isolated areas.”

MAF is located at booth 21 along James Ray Blvd. in the AirVenture main aircraft display area, not too far from the main entrance gate. Visitors to the display can try their hand at the flight simulator, talk to MAF pilots, and check out the ministry organization’s new aircraft—an amphibious Quest KODIAK bound for Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia.

This exciting airplane—outfitted with Aerocet floats—will serve people who live and work in isolated riverside villages. It will carry missionaries, medical teams, relief workers, Bible translators, and the sick or injured.

The new KODIAK was purchased entirely with donations from individuals, churches, and organizations that support MAF’s life-saving work. It’s part of a long-term strategic initiative to upgrade the aging MAF fleet. The floatplane it will replace—a small Cessna 185—is 53 years old. Like many MAF airplanes, the Cessna 185 burns avgas, which has become very expensive and difficult to obtain in Indonesia. The KODIAK burns jet fuel, which is much less costly and more readily available.

MAF pilots are skilled at flying in challenging topography, and you can learn from their expertise at two free public forums. On Monday, July 20, 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., John Hook, a veteran MAF pilot and recruiter, will speak on Terrain Flying in Forum #11. On Friday, July 24, 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., Hook will present about Short Field Take-offs and Landings in Forum #5.

Mission Aviation Fellowship (www.maf.org) was founded in 1945 by WWII pilots who had a vision for how aviation could be used to spread the Gospel. In 1946, pilot Betty Greene flew the first MAF plane on its inaugural flight, transporting two missionaries from Wycliffe Bible Translators to a remote jungle location in Mexico. Since that time MAF has grown to a global family of organizations working in 31 countries. Through its aviation and technology services, MAF enables the work of some 1,500 Christian and relief agencies.

MAF’s recent work has included supporting relief efforts in Nepal following two deadly earthquakes, helping halt a 2014 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and enabling the work of churches, evangelists, and Bible translators across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. MAF’s U.S. headquarters is in Nampa, Idaho.

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Note: MAF staff are available for interviews during AirVenture. Please contact Dianna Gibney at 208-498-0778 to arrange an interview.
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